Rubber heel and wear plate therefor



July 19, 1932. ESTERSQN 1,868,351

RUBBER HEEL AND WEAR PLATE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 4, 1931 llll n rr--u ll l nrt l v ll!- lllllll n Patented Jill 19, 1932 uNrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. ESTERSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HOLTITE MANUFAC- TURIN G GOMPAN Y, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND RUBBER HEEL AND WEAR PLATE THEREFOR Application filed December 4, 1931.

The invention relates to rubber heels and has for its objects to prolong the life and prevent running down of the heel without sacrificing or detracting from the natural resiliency'and other desirable attributes inherent in the heel.

To obtain this object the heel is provided with a cast steel or other metal plate which is embedded and positioned within the material 1 of the heel when the latter is formed as by vulcanizing,said plate having preferably integrally formed means firmly adhering to and anchoring the plate within the rubber, thereby preventing its accidental or intentional displacement relative to the heel during the entire life of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rubber heel of the character described in which the plate of metal or metal alloy is anchored only to the rubber body of the heel, thereby constituting in efiect a unitary part of the heel itself, without contactin with or in any wise secured to the material of the shoe to which the heel is adapted to be aflixed. The result is the plate does not affect nor detract from the natural and desired resiliency of the rubber heel. In effect the plate has a permanent anchorage within the heel and yet permits the free and unrestricted compression and expansion of the rubber during use so that the wearer is not conscious of the presence of the plate within the heel. At the same time the plate takes up a large part of the wear to which the rubber heel is ordinarily subjected and effectively prevents the usual tendency of the heel to become worn or run down at its edges; a disadvantage which has heretofore necessitated replacement of the heel long before the major portion of the same has received any appreciable wear.

The improved plate constituting an important part of the invention is adapted to be positioned in any desired locality with respect to the wearing surface or tread portion of the heel and once installed becomes a permanent and integral part of the heel to be discarded with the latter after its greatly prolonged period of usefulness has expired.

A still further object is to provide a rubber heel of'the character described in which the Serial No. 579,055.

metal plate is provided with means for effectively anchoring the entire plate to the material of the heel when the latter is formed and cured during the usual vulcanizing process, thereby insuring against any possibility of the rubber tearing away from the plate during the life of the heel. Said anchoring means are further designed to accommodate and compensate for any shrinkage of the rubber due to cooling after curing, with the result that the plate is maintained in close intimate contact with the rubber material of the heel at all stages of manufacture and subsequent use.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawirig, discloses a preferred embodiment there- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bottom or tread surface of a rubber heel constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in horizontal section, of the top surface of the heel, the sectional portion of said view being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the rubber heel detached.

Fig. 4: is a longitudinal vertical section on line H of Fig. 1, showing the heel secured to the sole of a shoe.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the plate member detached.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same, looking from the front thereof.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the plate.

Fig. 8 is a perspective VlOW of a plate embodying a slight modifi ation of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a still further modification.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a further modification of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the cushion heel constructed for example of rubber, and 2 are the usual integrally molded rubber buttons or protuberances on the bottom or tread surface of the heel. Each button is provided with a central depression 3 extending for a distance into the material of the heel and the usual metal washer 4 is permanently positioned or molded within the heel at the base of each depression. (Fig. 4). The rubber heel is secured in place to the leather heel 5 of the shoe by means of nails 6 which are inserted through the apertures 3 and metal washers, and driven home until the inward movement of the nails is arrested by the engagement of the nail heads with the said washers.

The heel plate is indicated at 7 and inthe preferred illustrated embodiment comprises "an arc uate :plate'formed of cast steel or stamped from sheet metal or otherwise 1 formed of other metals or metalalloys said .plate having a plurality of apertures 8 which 7 are spaced for registry with a corresponding number of apertures 3 of the rubber heel proper. The plate is further provided with a substantially flat .ground engaging surface having a plurality of annular protuberances or buttons 9 cast or otherwise formed integrally withftheplate and preferably corresponding in thickness and diameter'to the integrally formed rubber buttons 7 2 of the heel. The buttons 9 are castv or formed on the bottom of the plate and are concentric with the apertures 8 in the plate.

The arcuate plate is provided on its rear edge or periphery with one or more integrally formed upstandingprojections 10 terminating in irregular T-shaped lugs or heads 11 and the extremities of said lugs are preferably of curved formationas indicated at 12. A curvature 13 is also'lpreferable at the junction of (the horizontally projecting lugs 11 with the vertical projections 10. In a similar manner the forward edge or periphery of the plate is provided with one or more upstanding or vertical projections 14 terminating in lateral or horizontally extending lugs 15 also preferably having curved por tions andextremities 16 and 17 or a pur pose to be described. If desired the tread surface of the plate and the metal-buttons 9 may --be knurled or otherwise roughened asindicated at 18 in Figs. 1 and 5 to provide 'a "non-slipping engagement of the heel with the ground during its use;

The plate 7 "is embedded and positioned withinthe heel when the latteris formed-and ,With the tread surface of the rubber heel and with the tread portions of 'the cast metal I buttons 9disposed in" a horizontal plan'e'coincident with the tread portions of the rubber buttons 2. During the molding and curing operation the heel rubber flows between and around the upstanding T-shaped projections and intimately contacts with and adheres to all exposed surfaces of said projections to rigidly anchor the plate against displacement in any direction. The curved portions or surfaces 12, 13, 16 and 17 of the said T- shaped lugs compensate for any shrinkage of the rubber during-cooling and insure the maintenance of an intimate contact of the projections with the rubber despite any possible shrinkage. In this manner there is no relative movement between the plate and the heel during use and it is impossible for the plate to become weakened or loosened relative to the rubber. during the life of the heel.

The heel is attached to the shoe in the usual manner and there is no contact or engagement between the plate 7 and the leather heel of the shoe. As best seen in Fig. 4 the nails '6'are inserted into the apertures 3 of the rubber heel in the usual, manner, the enlarged diameter of the apertures 8 of the plate permitting-free passage of the nails 'therethrough. "Ihe nails are driven home in the usual manner until. theirxinward movement'is arrested by the washers Sembedded in the rubber of the heel.

From-the foregoing it will be apparent that the described manner-of anchoring the plate to the heeland securing the latter to the shoe preserves the desired resiliency of the article, since there is no physical contact .or connection between the metal plate 7v and the 'heelto absorb the shock of impact with "the ground, with the same comfort to the wearer as if the plate were not present. This movement of the plate however is not relative to {the heelrubber, 'but rather is coin- -'ciden't with the compressionand expansion of said rubber. At thesame time the presence of the plate providesa wearing surface to prevent deterlor'ation and :running'down of the heel during use. The life' of the heel is thereby greatly inoreasedand the presence of the plate 7 renders it unnecessary 'to renew the heel at frequent intervals as in the instance of the usual rubber heel.

The curvature 0f the plate :7 permits the same to be adjusted along thep'eriphery of the heel toward the right or left to take up wear at any desired point on the heel tread surface. I I V V The plate has been illustrated as at the rear portion of" the heel but .it will be understood that the same :mayibe positioned lol and anchored in the heel during manufacture toward the right or left as Viewed in Fig. 1, should it be desired to satisfy such requirements. i

In Fig. 8 a modified form of plate is shown in which a continuous arcuate projection 12a is provided between the upstanding lugs or projections 10a and an aperture 19 between said projections provides a space within which the rubber may flow to form a homogeneous union with the heel. A similar aperture 20 at the forward portion of the plate between the forward upstanding projections 14a, is provided for the same purpose.

In Fig. 9 a still further modification is illustrated in the form in which the upstanding rear and forward projections 21 and 22 are provided with spaced apertures 23 to permit the passage and flow of rubber therethrough to firmly anchor the plate within the heel.

If desired the plate may be anchored within the heel with its tread surface disposed slightly below the tread surface of the rubber, thereby leaving a thin film of rubber over the exposed surface of the plate, and if desired over the buttons 9. In other words the invention contemplates the positioning of the plate at any desired distance toward or away from the tread surface of the heel. Of course such thin film of rubber when present would be rapidly worn away during use, but the plate would be invisible when the heel is placed on the sole and attached to a shoe.

The device being made of one piece can be and is of cheaper manufacturing cost; hence the profit of actual cost will be of material benefit to the ultimate consumer.

The provision of the upstanding lugs for the purpose of anchoring the plate to the rubber insures a wearing surface at all times, since it will be understood that after the plate portion 7 has been worn away the upstanding portions 10 and 14 of the lugs, and there after the lugs proper will constantly provide a ground-engaging surface to prolong the life of the heel.

It is further pointed out that the construction of the plate permits its accommodation for various sizes of heels, and when the heel embodying the plate ultimately reaches the hands of a shoe repairer, the symmetrical shape of the plate permits the rubber to be readily trimmed without the possibility of defacing his tools or knives.

The ground engaging surface of the plate may be marked with a patent number or trademark which will be clearly visible to the purchaser and others, and such marking is permanent until a considerable portion of the wearing surface of the plate is destroyed by use.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11 the embodiment illustrated is similar to the plate shown in Fig. 7, with the exception that the lateral end or extremities or ears of the T-shaped portions 11a and 15a of the lugs are bent or turned inwardly as shown at 30, such bending being on vertical lines. Also two addi-.

ner of turning inwardly the extremities of the lugs results in angular lugs having arms projecting in all directions into the rubber, thereby serving to more securely and firmly anchor the plate in and to the rubber to constitute in effect an integral part thereof. The.

end lugs 31 are also firmly embedded in the rubber and prevent any possibility of dislodging the plate or separating it from the rubber and further prevent any tendency of the plate portion 7 to catch on any obstruction after the heel has been worn down.

The underside of the plate is or may be provided with a series of depressions or corrugations 33 which may be disposed in any desired manner and which serve to materially reinforce the relatively thin metal between the buttons 9 and insure against any deformation of the plate by the blows of the shoemakers hammer when the heel is being at tached to the shoe.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A rubber heel having a wear plate attached to the bottom surface thereof, said plate having a plurality of upstanding attaching lugs embedded in the rubber of the heel, each of said lugshaving oppositely projecting lateral extensions lying in a vertical plane and bent on vertical lines to extend inwards toward the center of said plate, all portions of said lateral extensions being in close contact with the rubber to minimize resistance to expansion and compression of the rubber relative to the plate.

2. A rubber heel having spaced nail-receiving apertures and embedded washers for the reception of nails to secure the heel to the shoe, a wear plate having upstanding angular projections embedded in the rubber of the heel to anchor the plate to the rubber, the wearing surface of said plate being disposed at the bottom of said heel, the plate having apertures each of larger diameter than the head of the securing nail and registering with certain of the apertures in said heel, each of said plate apertures permitting.

the passage therethrough of the entire securing nail into each heel aperture, whereby the rubber to flow entirely around thesame, to heel is secured to the shoe by the said nails minimize resistance to expanslon and comwithout contact of the latter with said plate pression of the rubber relative to the plate.

and said nails arevspaced above said plate during the life of the heel. 3. A wear plate for rubber heels adapted to be attached to and form the tread surface of the heel, said plate having a plurality of peripheral upstanding attaching lugs projecting upwardly from the edges of said plate and adapted to be embedded in the heel rubber, each of said lugs having at their upper ends oppositely projecting lateral extensions lying in a vertical plane, said extensions being bent on vertical lines to project inwardly over and towards the center of said plate and spaced above said plate to permit the heel rubber to flow entirely around said extensions, whereby resistance to expansion and compression of the heel rubber relative to the plate is minimized during the use of the heel.

4. A rubber heel having anarcuate plate attached thereto provided with a wear surface and integrally formed buttons at the heel bottom, said plate having on its periph eral edges a plurality of integrally formed upstanding T-shaped lugs adapted to be embedded in the rubber of the heel to secure the plate to the latter the upper end of each of said lugs terminating in oppositely project- 'ing end extensions around which the rubber is adapted to flow to anchor the plate against displacement relative to the heel, and a plu rality of apertures in the wear surface of said plate to permit the passage therethrough of the usual securing nails, whereby the heel may be attached to the shoe without contact of the nails with said plate.

5. An arcuate shaped wear plate for rubber heels adapted to be attached to the heel bottom and having a plurality of apertures corresponding with certain of the usual nail receiving apertures of said heel, the opposite peripheral edges of said plate each having a vertically extending integral elongated lug member conforming to the curvature ofsaid plate, said lug-members each having oppositely projecting extremities spaced above said plate and having cut-away portions in their vertical walls through which the heel rubber is adapted to flow when the plate is molded into the heel, tO'IlllIlllIllZQ resistance to expansion and compression of the rubber relative to the plate. 7 v

6. A wear plate for rubber heels adapted'to be attached to and form the tread surface of the-heel, said plate having a vertical attaching lug extending upwarly from said plate and adapted to be embedded in the heel rub ber, said lug having a lateral projection at spaced above said plate to permit the heel 7 In testimony whereof I affix mysignature.

ALBERT ESTERSON. 

